Sailor Venus: The Beginning
by Indigodragonchick
Summary: The first life of Sailor Venus. On Venus, Minako tries to have a normal teenage life. She lives in the last city of an ancient civilization who have for generations been trying to thrive on Venus. But her 'normal life' is about to change, drastically.
1. Chapter 1

The beginning… The first life, of the infamous Sailor Venus. Did you think that these girls were simply given their powers? They had to earn them.

It all started in an ancient civilization with only a few members remaining. One was destined to live forever while the rest destined to be washed away forever. This is the first story of Minako or as she was soon to become Sailor Venus.

A normal average day on what you call Venus. Hot of course but nothing else was to be expected. We lacked the technology and resources to move again. Forever we had been traversing the stars searching for a home planet to call our own. We were now down to only fifty members too few to attempt any dangerous missions of exploration. We were stuck on this planet with its harsh almost unbearable weather. For generations we had been adapting to this harsh climate but so far our newest generation could just barely survive outside our city. The clouds of sulfuric acid still plagued our lone city melting metal and sometimes the flesh of an unlucky victim. We should have known that we could never survive like this.

Minako was a rare child. She braved the weather of Venus with ease. As a child she even seemed to enjoy it. As she grew older, she started to pay more attention to her fellow city dwellers and less attention to the outdoors. She spent most of her time chatting away at the one café in town and almost no time exploring the harsh environment of Venus. She even met a boy, Akihiko.

Today was the day 21 year 4035. Minako was planning on meeting Akihiko at the café after school. Today was the day she would finally tell Akihiko her true feelings. Every day for the past two years she had sat next to Akihiko in class. They had at first only casually chatted but then after a while it grew into something more. Now each time she saw him or even thought of him her stomach would flutter. She had almost failed a math test because of him! He had to sit next to her with those big green eyes staring so intently at his paper. She had dreamed of this moment. She arrived at the café and set down her new yellow bag. It was new issue made to withstand just about anything and big enough to carry all the necessities. She had been waiting for about five minutes when an alarm rang off throughout the city.

"Great just great" Minako said to herself as she rushed to shelter. It was the standard sulfuric acid cloud warning. It happened about once a week and usually at the worst possible times. Minako signed in at the front of the building as she entered. The doors shut and lock behind her. Minako watched as the sulfuric acid droplets wash through the city. They burned into everything they touch but something is different this time. The drops start penetrating the walls of the buildings: the walls that were specially designed to not let even a single drop of sulfuric acid in. Minako turns to see drops coming through the wall of her building. Looking around Minako finds a small boy cowering in a corner. Drops are quickly approaching him and terror has taken over him. His wide eyes stare at the drops. Minako finds herself running over to him and embracing him tightly. Her back to the drops she feels the burning pain as they enter her skin. She is going to die. This was the end. There was no way that anyone could survive this storm. But at least this boy would have a chance at survival.

At that point the world went black. Minako wakes up to find ruins surrounding her. No building stands more than five or ten feet tall. Melted metal is all that remaines.

'The boy! Where is he?!' Minako sits up and pain shoots through her back.

"Hey! What are you trying to do kill yourself!?" Minako recognizes that voice. It is Akihiko. But how did he survive?

"But how…" Minako starts to say but Akihiko stops her with a smile. He brushes away a piece of hair that has fallen in front of her face.

"I'll tell you later. Right now just try and relax. Ok?" Minako smiles at this. Was this a dream? Then the world and the pain left as darkness surrounds her and drags Minako back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The destruction was real. Everything was so real. All around her Minako saw the remains of her once great city. What had they done to deserve this? Nothing! Nothing at all! They had not taken any resources from the planet, only using already existing or renewable materials. They had only used energy from heat converting it into electricity to be used for all their buildings. The planet was the same as it had been before, inhospitable and unbearable. It was no more polluted and no more civilized. All that had been accomplished was the destruction of what Minako had thought of as the one beautiful thing on this wasteland.

The weight of this began to sink into Minako. What about her family, friends? What had happened to them? The last moments before she had blacked out started coming back to her. Through the window she had seen the silent screaming of people burning. The acid tearing through skin and clothing as if it was nothing but paper. The people…Minako could not bear to remember it anymore. Then someone was there. A pair of hands carefully wrapped around her so as to provide comfort but not further damage her burnt skin. Akihiko.

"What happened…What happened to everyone else?" She asked in a voice so quiet that she was surprised Akihiko heard it. His arms stiffened, and Minako winced as they scratched her still delicate skin.

"They…they all…" Akihiko tried to say. Minako knew. She had known from the minute she saw the drops burn through the buildings.

"The boy…" She asked her voice quivering. She had never even talked to this boy before, and had attempted to sacrifice herself for him. She felt a kinship to this complete stranger. She wanted, no needed him to be alive, for her sacrifice to be worthwhile. Akihiko did not even have time to answer her question. A cloud of dust seemed to leap from the ground, and Minako just barely caught sight of a pair of shoes in front of her.

"You're a real dummy. You know that?" A childish voice said. Minako smiled as she saw a pair of green eyes peering down at her.

"Why should I believe a shrimp like yourself?" Minako asked in return with a smirk on her face.

"Because even I know that the new issue bags come with emergency ammonia in the back compartment." The boy replied smugly.

Minako had been the first and only one to try this bag. The others, all her friends and family, had thought it too expensive or just impractical. But she had fallen in love and bought it the second it came out. The golden color had been too good to resist.

But something still didn't make sense. The bag had only been designed for one person and with a sulfuric acid storm this bad… How did she and the boy both survive? The bag didn't carry enough ammonia to save them both. As she looked up at the boy in confusion, he shook his head.

"I don't know. I don't even remember much…I saw your skin start burning, and…I ripped the bag open. The ammonia gas went everywhere, protecting me but not you. It started getting in my eyes so I had to close them…Then it was all over. You were lying on the ground burned but alive. I don't know what happened…" His eyes started to tear. He tried to contain them but couldn't.

"I'm sorry! This is all my fault…I should have been more careful. I should have helped you." He cried as he continued to sob uncontrollably.


	3. Chapter 3

Minako's heart went out to this boy. No boy, no human should have to go through this pain. The guilt he must feel over one simple bag. But she understood. She knew, somehow, deep in her heart that this had been an accident. A ripped bag that no one could have controlled. She wrapped her arms around the crushed boy as he let it all go. He clung to her still damaged body, and she forgot her physical pain, too overcome by his emotional turmoil.

"I understand" She whispered into his ear. They were both alive and that was all that mattered to Minako. Slowly his tears began to lessen and then stopped completely. He looked up at her and she smiled down at him. He was alive. That fact continued to astound and delight her.

With Akihiko's arms around her and the boy in her arms, she felt like maybe there was a chance of survival on this desolate planet. That maybe, they would all survive this.

"Hey let me go." The little boy suddenly said in a quietly powerful voice. Minako opened her arms and let him go. He scrambled to his feet then turned around to look back at Minako. The tears had dried leaving only streaks behind. His face held a strength that Minako knew had not been there a minute ago. Seeing Minako and Akihiko together, a small smile sprang to the boy's face.

"Well…" The boy said impatiently while staring at Minako and Akihiko. Akihiko's arms were still wrapped around Minako, holding her gently but powerfully. Minako felt Akihiko blush then slowly and reluctantly release his arms. Minako felt his hand brush her arm as he let her go. She smiled. Maybe she didn't have to tell him how she felt. Maybe he already knew. And maybe he felt the same.

Minako started to stand but felt a strong hand on her shoulder. Before she even had time to resist, she was lifted off her feet by those same arms that had just held her.

"No way. You're not walking until I'm sure your ok." Akihiko said his smiling face now only inches from hers. But before either had time to do anything a tornado of dust surrounded all three of them. It came out of nowhere violently pelting them with sand and gravel. Akihiko tightened his grip on Minako trying to protect her from the stinging sand and rocks.

"How dare you invade my planet? And ruin my pristine earth with your harsh metallic structures!" A feminine voice shouted through the chaos. The wind increased gathering up bigger and bigger rocks to pelt.

"You had no right to come here. You are not welcome." The feminine voice finished as the sands started to ingrain itself in Akihiko's skin. Minako could no longer stand it. She would not let this woman hurt her friends.

"No" She said in almost a whisper. She pushed against Akihiko once, twice, until he finally relented. He carefully set her down all the time staying right behind her. He was there for her, and she would not let him down. The boy seeing her standing pushed his way through the sand to be by her side.

"NO!" She yelled into the chaos. She raised her head from the ground to stare defiantly at tornado raging around her.

"I will not let you hurt my friends." She said continuing to talk to the wind, sand and rocks that drove deep into her damaged skin. She blocked the pain as she stared into what she thought was to be her death.


	4. Chapter 4

"You dare to challenge me! I, who actually care about the earth, _you_ are so eager to cover up. I admire the craters and volcanoes that sprout fire burning the sky instead of running in fear. The swirling gasses create the most intricate patterns, more beautiful than anything _you_ could ever imagine. This is me…my home." The feminine voice relates her voice becoming so caring that Minako found it hard to believe this being could even hurt a fly much less create a twister with the sole purpose of destroying three people. Who was this being? And how did her anger overcome this deep love?

As Minako thought of the beings words, she began to remember the good times. She remembered the sunsets, light fighting its way to the surface of the planet and in the process becoming a radiant picture of beauty. The volcanoes spurting their fiery fury and watching the lava cool in the most bizarre shapes. Even the sulfuric acid created masterpieces in the rocks it passed through. Maybe this barren land did hold some beauty.

"How dare you, who have done nothing but destroy my beautiful masterpiece, question me?" The voice began again, her anger renewed. The voice no longer held even a glimpse of the kindness. It was pure hatred. Minako shivered as each word oozed darkness and hurt. The wind increased becoming a wall of sand and rocks. Minako could no longer see Akihiko or the boy though she knew somehow that they were still there, supporting her.

"Give them up to me." The voice demanded Minako growing louder with each word. Suddenly Minako felt sorry for this being. She was so damaged and hurt, only wanting to protect her love, her earth. But Minako could not let her hurt the boy or Akihiko. These two boys were her love. Just like this being, Minako would protect her love at all costs. Minako took a step forwards towards the swirling rocks.

"I can't because…I care for them in the same way you care about this planet. They are my friends, my family, my all…You have this planet. Let me have my friends!" Minako said screaming into the chaos. Slowly, almost unnoticeably, the wind began to lessen. Rocks started to fall to the ground and stay there. The storm began to clear revealing an unbroken horizon.

The weight of the day sprang suddenly on Minako. Her knees buckled, and the ground seemed to rush up to greet her. Just before she hit two pair of hands caught her, one pair large and strong, the other small but determined. The small hands slowly let go as she was lifted up by the larger ones. She turned and smiled just slightly at Akihiko. How was she supposed to impress him if she couldn't even stay on her feet?

"If you stay here, you must earn your keep." The feminine voice began again her voice surrounding the Minako.

"In exchange for your lives, you, girl, will have to get rid of a few pests settling in my northern pole. Do you agree?" The feminine voice asked arrogantly.

"What do you think?" Minako replied in a tired voice. She had no choice. She would have done anything for these two especially Akihiko. In his arms she had felt safe even with the winds swirling around them.

"Fine. I will return in a week when you are ready for the journey…" The feminine voice said her voice slowly fading into nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

That whole week, one question was always on the tip of Minako's tongue. As she did chores, cleaned her clothes as best she could with no water, and scouted the area, this question refused to leave her mind.

She would be sitting beside him attempting to enjoy the time together, and it would pop into her thoughts destroying the moment completely. She felt herself being drawn away from Akihiko. Her feelings never changed. Her heart still fluttered when she saw his face, while her stomach tried to do somersaults whenever she felt his touch. But those were only the first moments. Seconds later that question would pierce her mind driving away all the lighthearted happiness. Distrust would blossom and she would feel her eyes and body leaving his. She wanted to be near him but the question formed an invisible wedge between them.

"Why don't I just ask?" Minako would ask herself over and over but inside she already knew the answer. She wanted so much to trust him, wanted him to be her knight in shining armor, that she couldn't bring herself to chance seeing him in any other light.

That question held too much power. It held their fragile relationship in its fateful grasp. And the answer… Minako knew that it could bring nothing good. It would only damage what Minako had worked so hard to create. She couldn't bear to do that to herself or Akihiko.

Then on the last day of their week of peace Minako found her solution. She had just arrived back from collecting food. She had found bits and pieces of food throughout the wreckage of her city. Nothing grew on Venus. She was arranging it all in neat little piles so it could be easily identified and then eaten. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Akihiko hesitate right before touching her shoulder. At that moment she realized, this question was already wrecking everything but in the shadows. Akihiko must have known something was wrong all week. As Minako thought back on the week she realized he had grown more distant keeping his distance from her. But he had never known the what or why. He had been waiting for her to ask. She felt her heart sink just a bit. There was still hope but what about that trust. Akihiko had trusted her to be open, to ask the question that had been bothering her all week. She had betrayed that trust by keeping her question a secret.

"I'm never going to do that again. Nothing can survive without the truth especially not…" Minako thought to herself as her mind drifted back to the old times. Talking and laughing with Akihiko right there beside her to share a joke or even create one. He was too special, too precious to ever let go especially not something so stupid as a question. She knew she had to confront him, and know the truth about…his survival.

She quickly placed the rest of the food on the ground not even caring about arrangement.

"Akihiko." Minako said holding her head up high. Her hand shook but she quickly hid it behind her back not wanting him to know about her fear. If he saw that, she knew he would want to protect her but she couldn't, no wouldn't take that. She didn't need protection. She needed the truth and all of it. He turned away from the fire they had used for days to prepare the almost inedible remnants of their civilization. His eyes met her and she saw relief but also anxiety and fear. He had known this moment would come.

"Akihiko, how did you survive?"


End file.
